Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Shaike Dan cites: Benjamin Yerushalmi was an experienced field-person for Mossad leAliyah Bet, but not a Palyam פלי”ם member.
Palmach Information Center cites: Benjamin Yerushalmi served in the Palmach פלמ"ח, and the Palyam פלי”ם.

Benjamin Yerushalmi worked in Bakar, in charge of refurbishing and preparating Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל for sailing.

Reuven Yatir and Yossi Hamburger Harel were transferred to Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל, to join Benyamin Yerushalmi.
Aviva Halamish cites: The high point in Yossi Harel's career was the two-and-a-half week voyage of the Knesset Israel.

On November 4, 1946, Lohita Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל, along with MS Anastasia, sailed from Bakar, on a two-and-a-half week voyage, carrying 4,000 passengers.
Palyam.org cites Lohita Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל sailing on November 5, 1946, carrying 3,445 passengers.
Reuven Yatir cites: Lohita Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל carried 3,500 passengers and a small vessel, Saint, carried 500 passengers, but on their "way to the open sea the “Saint” ran into a small island and sank. We transferred her passengers to our vessel and continued our voyage in an orderly manner."
Benyamin Yerushalmi served as Commander aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Yossi Harel served as second-in-command aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Yoash Tzdon served as Gidoni, wireless radio operator, aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
She sailed close to the Dalmatian coast.
Before she set sail, she had been given the name, תנועת המרי העברי Tnuat haMeri haIvri, the Hebrew Resistance Movement, and her captain told the passenger at muster, prior to sailing, that they should be accountable to her name.
The resistance group included 2,000 individuals, most from youth movements.
Her name was changed to Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל on orders from the Yishuv.

Benyamin 'Ben' Yerushalmi served as Commander aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Reuven Yatir cites: a group of Maapilim he had trained in seamanship took over running of the ship, when they left the Aegean Sea and let the Greek crew go, and "They went back to Piraeus in a small boat, together with Ben Yerushalmi."

Yoash 'Chato' Tzidon served as Palyam Escort מלווה and Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator, aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
He came to Bakar with the Maapilim, from the transit camp in Zagreb.

Yossi Harel served as Second-in-Command aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Reuven Hirsch Yatir served as Palyam Escort מלווה aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Reuven Yatir cites "In November 1946, 4,000 mMaapilim arrived and Yoash Tzidon, the Gideoni (radio operator), came with them from the transit camp in Zagreb. Knesset Israel took on 3,500 Maapilim and a small vessel, the Saint, took the other 500."

Jacob Berger, his wife, Klara, and daughter, Carmela, sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Moshe Malkiel, age 17 years, sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Matilda and Pnina Wiesel sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Benyamin Yerushalmi served as a field person for Mossad leAliyah Bet, and was assigned by Ehud Avriel as Escort aboard Yoram יורם Nora.

 

Around March 19, 1948, Yoram יורם Nora entered Shibenik port.
The Italian crew suspected that the mission might be illegal, eventhough they were not told that the final destination was Palestine.
Tthe Italian crew learned that they were involved in arms smuggling, during the loading, and some of them wanted to sign off, but they were "convinced" by the Yugoslavs that such a move would "not be to their benefit".
Ben Yerushalmi convinced them to take out to sea, and gave them a raise and even a promise, to get them protection, once they reached Tel Aviv.

On April 1. 1948, Yoram יורם Nora reached the anchorage of Tel Aviv, forty five days before the end of the British Mandate.
When she arrived , she found a British destroyer, one of the two they had met in Larnaca, approaching, and starting to circle.
The Italian captain, afraid the British would discover the cargo, panicked and sighed: "Adeso, tuto finito" (now, it's all over), before collapsing.
Ben Yerushalmi assumed command, and impersonating a captain, ordered the crew to salute the British destroyer, according to the maritime tradition. The destroyer returned a salute and sailed off.

On December 27, 1947, Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות and Pan York פאן יורק Kibbutz Galuyot קיבוץ גלויות sailed from the port of Burgas Бургас.
Gad Hilb cites: Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות and Pan York פאן יורק Kibbutz Galuyot קיבוץ גלויות sailed from Burgas Бургас on December 26, 1947.
Yoram Kaniuk cites: Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות and Pan York פאן יורק Kibbutz Galuyot קיבוץ גלויות sailed at 16:00PM, on Friday, December 26, 1947, because that sailing south from Burgas Бургас toward Turkey Türkiye would have been shorter, but it was filled with mines, therefore she sailed north, hugging the Romanian coast, where the minefields had been cleared by the Russians.
The Russian Pilot who had a map, but refused to sail at night, diembarked at Varna Варна, along with Shaike Dan and the Bulgarian officer who accompanied him.
Micha Peri served as Palyam Escort aboard Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות.

'Mira' Kafri served as Palyam פלי"ם Escort מלווה and head of the kitchen aboard Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות, when she sailed from Burgas.

Sam Schulman served aboard Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות, when she sailed from Burgas.

Benjamin Yerushalmi served as crew on board Pan Crescent Atzmaut עצמאות, and worked getting the ship seaworthy.

After serving as Commander of the transit camp not far from Mula, Pinchas 'Pinny' Ashuah was sent, with three other Palyamnikim, to Venezia, to serve as Palyam Escort on board Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט.